Under Your Nose
by Kitty Bandit
Summary: Lavi's love life isn't exactly hopping with activity, and after a particularly long string of bad luck, his friend suggests magic as a solution to his dating issues. However, acquiring a love potion from the handsome shop owner turned out to be more trouble than he bargained for. Lucky. Smut.


Lavi stared up at the pink and purple shop sign with a dubious look. _Lucky Potions_. Lenalee had said this shop was the best, but now that he was here, doubt clouded his mind. This wasn't exactly the best part of town, and the building looked like it had seen better days. The siding was falling off, stained and broken, the windows were dirty, and if he wasn't mistaken, there was a faint smell of piss emanating from the alley next to him. _Lovely_. But — he was already here, and even with the garish neon signs in the windows, he couldn't find the energy to turn away and look for a different shop.

This would have to do.

Stepping forward, Lavi opened the door and entered. He was greeted by the delicate ding of a bell, likely there to signal to the shop owner that a customer had arrived. Second was the smell — heady, sweet yet strong. Lavi couldn't place it, but it permeated the shop. The musky smell left his head spinning, and he only vaguely entertained the thought that the scent might have been laced with magical properties — perhaps to encourage customers to buy more items or to linger in the shop longer (which was an illegal use of magic, but Lavi didn't put it past anyone who would work in this part of town).

The incense filled the room, and wisps of smoke curled in the air around Lavi as he took in the tiny shop. Shelves lined the walls, all filled with books, bottles, ingredients, and potions. He was surprised everything could fit into such a small space. This wasn't going to make his task any easier.

Lavi walked around a display of herbs, scratching the back of his neck as he searched the store. Before he could get far, a honeyed voice called out to him, stealing away his attention.

"Need any help?"

Lavi looked up, startled. He hadn't noticed anyone behind the front counter when he entered, but there he was now. The man looked older than Lavi, maybe late twenties — dark skin and curly black hair. He leaned against the counter, one elbow on the glass as he held up his chin with his hand. His fingers tapped his cheek as he watched Lavi with bright, golden eyes.

And, damn — why did he have to be so handsome?

"Ah, I suppose. I'm looking for something specific…" Lavi said, shuffling over to the front counter.

"Want to give me a hint? Or do I have to guess?" The shopkeeper smiled, showing off his teeth.

Lavi chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Probably would help, huh?"

"Usually does."

Lavi cleared his throat and looked up at the wall of potions behind the counter. There were so many that he had trouble even reading all the labels, most were so small and crowded on the shelves. "I'm looking for a love potion, I guess."

"You guess? I would think if you want a love potion, you'd be pretty damn sure about it."

"Look — I didn't want to come here in the first place, but my friend insisted. Can't you just like… whip something up?"

The shopkeeper pressed both hands against the glass countertop and stood up straight. He hummed, a frown on his handsome face. "Love potions are tricky beasts, kid. They have to be specifically tailored to the user. I can make you one if you're interested, but it won't be cheap."

Lavi sighed, and rubbed at his good eye. Lenalee had been after him for years to try magic as a means of finding him a partner. Bar-hopping never worked, and no matter how many blind dates she set him up on, he always found a reason not to go for a second date. It was to the point where Lavi wanted a significant other just so Lenalee would leave him alone about the issue.

"Fine. Do it. I'll pay for it — I don't care how much," Lavi replied, exhaustion heavy in his voice. He just wanted to get this over with.

The shopkeeper chuckled. "Not so fast, kid. This might take a while." He reached down under the counter and pulled out an old clipboard. He clicked the pen and twirled it in his fingers as he sat back in the chair behind the counter. His lips twitched up into a smile as he looked back at the redhead. "If we're going to make a potent love potion, I need to get to know you better. The more personal information, the better."

Lavi made a displeased face, already not liking how much effort was going into this. He wondered if just dealing with Lenalee's constant nagging was better than listing out a bunch of personal information to a complete stranger.

But he was already this far. Backing out would just make every effort until now a wasted one. With a sigh, Lavi nodded. "Ok. Let's do this."

"That's the spirit," the shopkeeper laughed, tapping his pen on the clipboard. There was already a sheet of paper on it, yellowed from age. "I'm Tyki, by the way. And you are?"

"Lavi."

"Well, Lavi — let's make you a love potion, hm?" Tyki looked down at the paper and scribbled Lavi's name on the top. "All right. Tell me your birthday?"

"August tenth."

"Mm… Leo, then? Nice." Tyki wrote down the information. "Age?"

"Twenty-two."

"Occupation?"

"Archivist."

"Ooh? What do you archive, if I may ask?" Tyki added, a smile on his face as he continued to write down notes.

"Books — I work at a library."

Tyki looked up then. "Sounds interesting."

Lavi sighed. "Ok, enough with the chit-chat. Can I just answer the questions?"

Tyki clicked his tongue, though the smile on his face never diminished. In fact, he seemed even more amused than before. "No patience, I see. Typical Leo."

"Hey!"

"Do you know why I have to ask these questions? Do you find them arbitrary?"

Lavi stiffened as Tyki looked back up at him, his yellow eyes sharp as they assessed the redhead. He didn't reply, not sure what to say.

Tyki continued, not waiting for an answer. "Love potions can be volatile if they are improperly prepared. As an alchemist, I can't promise quality results if you don't at least try to work with me. I need to know who you are to tailor the potion to fit you. If not, it could be a disaster. You don't want hordes of people chasing you down the street, do you? If the potion isn't tailored to fit you and your ideal mate, it'll be like splashing a bucket of paint on a wall. Everyone within a ten foot radius will be affected and you could end up seriously hurt as a result. Haven't you heard of love spells gone awry? People start fighting over one person, tearing each other apart because of the strong magics. It's dangerous."

The prospect of being on the receiving end of a bad love potion seemed to sober Lavi's attitude, and he swallowed hard to loosen the lump in his throat. He _had_ heard of that happening — people going crazy because of love spells — but he never put much thought on the subject. However, now that he was one of those idiots _asking_ for a love potion…

"You're not exactly selling me on the idea of trying this," Lavi admitted, shifting his gaze away from Tyki's intense stare.

"Lavi, I'm a professional. And even if I don't look like it, I am _very_ good at making potions. You have nothing to worry about — _as long as you take this seriously_. Understand?"

"I — Yes. I understand," Lavi said, blushing hard. He felt like a kid being scolded. "I'll take it seriously."

"Perfect. Shall we continue?" Tyki's face lost the hard seriousness it had before, and he was all bubbly smiles once more.

"Yeah."

"Now — Favorite color?"

xXxXxXx

It was nearly two and a half hours later when Lavi left _Lucky Potions_ , a small bottle in hand, wrapped up in a tissue paper and tucked into a paper bag. It seemed like Tyki had asked him every question imaginable. His favorite food, favorite movie, favorite _sex position_. The embarrassing questions never stopped coming. And the entire time, Tyki watched him with that damn, amused smirk. Fuck, it annoyed him.

But it was over now. He would never have to go back to that shop again. All he had to do was use the potion, get a date, and everything would work out. He'd have Lenalee off his back, and probably get laid in the process. Win-win.

Lavi looked up at the sky and grinned. He felt better than he had in a long time. Tomorrow — things would be brighter. He had this love potion, and one way or another, he'd get what he wanted out of it.

Or so he thought.

The bottle Tyki had given him was small, but potent. He had instructed Lavi to take two drops of the potion orally every morning. He had said the effects would be immediate. But in the five days that had passed since he bought the potion, Lavi hadn't had a _single_ interaction with anyone that could be considered _more than friendly_. In fact, he felt more invisible now than he had in his entire life.

That's when he knew it. He'd been duped.

This potion had to be a dud. Why wouldn't it work otherwise? And after he had shelled out all that cash for it? And went through that embarrassing questionnaire!? Inexcusable! He wanted his money back!

Grabbing the rest of the potion, he headed out Friday night, taking the train all the way back to the shop. He made it just before the shop closed, and entered with a frown on his face. The door dinged as it had when he entered the first day, and the same musky smell permeated the building.

Lavi's green eye focused right on the front counter, and he stalked up to it as if he were ready for a fight.

Tyki noticed him before he could reach the countertop. "Hey, look who it is. Need some more love potions, Red?"

Lavi set the potion bottle on the counter, the glass clinking roughly enough to make Tyki wince. "Actually, I'd like one that works."

Tyki blinked and stared back at him. "Come again?"

"You said this was fool-proof. That it would work in no time," Lavi said, getting more worked up the longer he spoke. "I've used this all week long and no one has even said ' _hi'_ to me. You sold me a shit potion."

Tyki scoffed, as if he had been slapped in the face. "I did no such thing! That is the best love potion you'll find in town. I don't make _shit potions_."

"Then how come this isn't working? I haven't even had someone flirt with me, let alone get a date!"

With a sigh, Tyki stood up from his chair, setting the book he had been reading down and grabbing the potion. He opened the bottle and smelled it, then closed it again and peered at the color through the clear glass. "Did you take two drops every morning?"

"Yes."

"Under your tongue?"

" _Yes!_ "

"No need to get snippy," Tyki said, exasperation edging in his voice. "This happens sometimes." He turned away then and opened the door to the back room, disappearing out of sight.

Lavi tried to watch him, but could only see the faint light and the long tables with mixing supplies carefully laid out. "What happens sometimes?"

Tyki spoke as he worked in the back, not bothering to close the door. "I told you before, love potions are tricky. They don't always work right the first time. Sometimes you need to tweak it." There was a clinking of glass, the grind of a mortar and pestle. After a few moments, Tyki returned to the main store room, shaking the corked bottle in his hand.

"Hopefully, it works better this time." He handed the bottle to Lavi, who looked at it with suspicion.

"What did you do to it?"

"Strengthened the dose. The dose I had given you before was the normal amount. Apparently, you need something a little stronger." Tyki sighed, but smiled. "Still take only two drops a day. But this time, if it's still not working after three days, come back and I'll adjust it again. Geez, who knew you were such a hard case. I figured with a handsome face like yours, you wouldn't have trouble."

"I… Thanks?" Lavi said, confusion washing over his face, along with a faint blush. "I… I'll just try this then." He pocketed the potion and turned around to head for the door, feeling dizzy and unfocused.

"Hey, wait up."

Lavi stopped and turned around, only to see Tyki grabbing his coat and putting it on. "Why?"

"It's almost closing time, so I figured I'd leave with you and walk you to your car."

"I took the train."

"Okay, the train station then." He pulled out his keys from the coat pocket and walked with Lavi to the front door.

"Why would you walk me?"

"Because it's late and, if you hadn't noticed, I don't exactly work in the nice part of town," Tyki replied, locking the door behind them as they exited the building.

The wind whipped at Lavi's face, biting at his skin as he pulled his scarf tighter to ward off the cold. "You don't have to do that, you know."

"I know. But I probably owe you, what with your potion not working and all." Tyki tucked the keys back into his pocket and grinned at the redhead. "Wouldn't want you telling everyone I make _shit potions_ , now would I?"

"Even though it's true?" Lavi smirked as he said it, though he hid his face in the folds of his scarf.

"Brat," Tyki snapped back, though he didn't sound angry in the least. "C'mon. You'll miss the last train out of here. Don't want you sleeping on my couch, now do I?"

"Right — That would be horrible."

xXxXxXx

That was how it started. Every three days, Lavi would come back to _Lucky Potions_ , and Tyki would adjust his dose. At first, Lavi was pissed that he had to waste time out of his days just to come back to Tyki's shop. The train ride took him nearly an hour because of the convoluted schedule and how late he got off of work. By the time he got home, he didn't have time for anything but a quick dinner before going to bed. But two weeks had passed, and his luck was _not_ improving. The potion wasn't working at all. Lavi knew he should be mad, beyond pissed that he'd spent time and money on this endeavor.

But for some reason, he only felt content.

The Saturday afternoon sun shone through the dirty windows of the shop as Lavi picked up a bottle from one of the shelves and peered at the electric blue contents. "Ok — And what's this one for?" he asked, turning the vial in his hands.

Tyki tilted his head and stared at the bottle from behind the counter. "Mmm… That one is to help your singing voice."

"And this one?" Lavi asked again, setting the blue bottle down and picking up another. This one contained a dark green liquid that clung to the sides of the glass like honey as Lavi turned it in his hand.

With a chuckle, Tyki shook his head. "That one's for healing a broken heart."

"Very specific."

"Well, you asked." Tyki shrugged. "Are you done quizzing me on my own supply of potions?"

"What? It's not like you have anything better to do," Lavi shot back, snickering as he put the bottle back in its rightful place. "All you ever do is sit behind that counter and read. Don't you do any work? Am I your only customer."

"You're a rude brat, aren't you?" Tyki replied, grabbing the aforementioned worn out paperback and paged through to find where he had left off. "I didn't ask you to linger."

"But you also didn't kick me out." Lavi walked over to the counter and leaned against it. He poked at a few packaged dry herbs next to the register. "I think I really _am_ your only customer."

"Oh? Do you now?" Tyki asked, still staring at the yellowed pages of his book. His voice was even, but a smirk slipped onto his lips.

"Yeah. And as your only customer, you should probably treat me a little better." Lavi grabbed one of the old pens laying on the counter and started to click the button at the top. _Click. Click. Click, click, click._

Tyki sighed then, rolling his eyes. "Technically, you didn't buy anything. So, you're just loitering."

"I bought a love potion that still isn't working. So, nope. Not loitering."

"That was weeks ago. You didn't spend money today."

"I think of it as retroactive payment. I'm still waiting for the product to work."

Tyki set the book down and stared back at Lavi, an amused look plastered on his face. "I'm starting to think you're a hopeless case."

Lavi scoffed. "How so?"

Tyki shrugged and looked away, his voice teetering on the edge of playful. "If that potion hasn't worked by now, it must mean you're so annoying that no one could stand to be with you."

"Look who's rude now!" He pointed the pen at Tyki's face, mock offense in his voice. "I'm a fucking catch, and you know it. I'm not the broken one, it's your damn potion."

" _Pointing_ is rude," Tyki said, reaching out and grabbing Lavi's hand. He pushed it away, though Lavi didn't resist the push. "And it's not the potion — it's you."

Lavi opened his mouth, ready to shoot back another snippy comment, but it never came. Instead, his focus shifted to Tyki's hand. It still curled around Lavi's, pressing it to the counter. The redhead thought to pull away, start to tease and taunt the shopkeeper some more, but every word died on his tongue. Tyki's hand felt warm against his, and more comforting than he wanted to admit. The realization came on like a slap to the face — He didn't want Tyki to let go of his hand. He _liked_ it.

With a sudden jerk, Lavi yanked his hand away, as if Tyki's touch burned him. His green eye went wide as he took a step back from the counter and cradled his hand to his chest.

A frown marred Tyki's face, shocked by the sudden change in mood. "What?" he asked, the confusion in his eyes deepening with each second that passed. "What's wrong with you?"

The question snapped Lavi out of his thoughts. He shook his head and grabbed his already adjusted potion off of the counter. "I— uh, just remembered. I have to be somewhere." He turned away from Tyki, rushing towards the door.

"Hey, wait a sec—" Tyki started, but before he could finish his sentence, Lavi was gone. He stared at the door, the sound of the bell chiming against the quiet of the room. The sudden emptiness of the store left a bitter taste in his mouth.

With a sigh, Tyki picked up his book and sat back in his chair, the air around him feeling colder now that the redhead left.

xXxXxXx

Lavi held out for a nearly a week. He used the potion every day like instructed, but the same results occurred — if nothing happening could be called a result. He knew he needed to go back to the potion shop, but the feelings from last Saturday haunted him. His hand itched from Tyki's touch even now, and it unnerved him how often he thought of the man.

He would be going over books in the library, then think of Tyki and how mangled every paperback he owned looked. He would be having dinner with his friends and wondering what Tyki's favorite food was. Hell — he even dreamed about the alchemist! Even in sleep, Lavi couldn't escape him.

This whole mess needed to be over and done with. He had already wasted three weeks of his life on this fiasco. If the potion wasn't going to work, then Lavi was determined to get his money back.

At least that's what he told himself as he rode the train all the way across town to get to the shop that Friday night. He picked at the frayed edges of his scarf as the train pulled into the station, worrying the fabric until threads came loose in his hands. The potion in his pocket felt heavy, too heavy for its size.

After he disembarked the train platform, he hurried through the dirty streets, shoulders hunched up against the cold, late winter air. In his mind, he went over what he wanted to say to Tyki, rehearsing the words again and again.

He reached the shop sooner than anticipated, and as he stared up at the pink and purple sign, his chest pinched tight with unease. Lavi stood frozen for a long moment before taking a deep breath and entering the shop.

The bell rang as he opened the door, and like always, Tyki looked up from his book at the intrusion.

"Long time no see, Red. I thought you had found yourself a pretty lady, finally, since you hadn't come back." Tyki sat the book down on the counter and leaned against the glass.

"Not exactly," Lavi said, stopping just in front of the counter. He pulled the bottle from his pants pocket still half full. "It's still not working and I want my money back."

Tyki stiffened. "Hey, I told you that the potion will work. If it hasn't landed you a date yet, then the problem is on your end, not mine."

Lavi frowned, his grip on the bottle tightening. "Look — It's been weeks now and I've got nothing to show for it. I followed your instructions _to the letter_. I'm not the one in the wrong. Just give me my money back. I'm done with this bullshit."

Tyki's yellow eyes narrowed as he stared back at Lavi. "I don't know what to tell you. I'm not giving you your money back — not after all the ingredients, time, and energy I spent crafting that potion for you. It's _perfect_. In fact, it's stronger than I should have made it because you were having so much trouble. Whatever is messing it up is not my fault — it's yours. I'm not going to be hustled by some kid."

"Excuse _you_ — First of all, I am _not_ a kid. And second, I did _everything_ right! If I haven't got a date yet, it's _your_ fault." Lavi was losing his cool faster than he anticipated. Something about Tyki threw off his game, left his thoughts disordered and his words a jumbled mess.

"I'm not giving you your money back," Tyki repeated. The scowl on his face grew deeper. "So, take what's left of the potion and leave."

"I don't want it. I want my money." Lavi slapped the bottle down onto the counter, the glass clinking hard. He pushed the bottle towards Tyki, glaring at him.

"You're not getting the money," Tyki said, refusing to back down. He pushed the bottle back towards Lavi, scraping the glass countertop. The sound echoed in the small room.

"I'm not leaving until I get it." Lavi pushed the bottle back towards Tyki, standing his ground.

Tyki ground his teeth, irritation humming on his skin as he glared back at redhead. " _Lavi_. Take the potion and leave." He pushed the bottle back at Lavi.

"No." The bottle moved towards Tyki again.

"Yes."

"No."

" _Yes._ "

" _No!_ "

Tyki had had enough. "Goddammit, Lavi. Just take the potion!"

"No! I want my money back!"

They fought over the bottle, pushing it back and forth between them. Their hands jarred back against each other, the tiny, glass bottle pressed flush against them. Tyki and Lavi's insistence turned severe, to the point where they put all their weight into the tussle.

Then, Lavi's hand slid after a rougher push, and the bottle slipped from between their palms. It hit the countertop at just the right angle and shattered on impact. The pink liquid oozed onto the counter and splashed up against them. Their fighting stopped instantly, too surprised by the broken bottle to continue.

Lavi shook his head, and tried to wipe the potion off of his hands and face. "Look what you did, you—" Lavi wanted to say more, throw another insult at Tyki, but a smell overpowered him, swift and sudden. He pulled his hand up to cover his nose and mouth, but the smell didn't lessen, it only increased.

Tyki had gasped when the bottle broke, but said nothing. He looked at the mess on his counter, then to Lavi. As the same smell hit his nostrils, his eyes widened. He took a step back, nearly tripping over his chair as he tried to steady himself. How had he not realized it? The potion…

"L-Lavi," Tyki choked out, closing his eyes in hopes that he could rein in the overwhelming emotions flooding his body. "You need to… leave. The potion, it…"

It smelled so good.

Intoxicating, like sweat and salt and musk.

— _Like sex._

Tyki tried to hold his breath to wait it out, but the smell refused to dissipate. It infected his brain, his very core, to the point that he didn't feel as if he could keep control of his own body anymore.

He didn't even want to.

Lavi slumped forward against the counter, his knees buckling under him. "Tyki… It's so hot in here…" His voice came out breathy, as if he'd just run a marathon.

Tyki laughed, the sound rattling in his lungs as he gripped the chair to keep from tipping over. "I told you I don't make shit potions. We're just so stupid…" He could feel his arms and legs shaking from the overpowering smell.

"What do you mean?" Lavi managed to asked, unable to pull his head up from the counter to look back at Tyki.

"It worked. The fucking potion worked," Tyki said, his skin flushing red from the exposure, already irritated from where the potion contacted it. "It worked _on me_."

Lavi was quiet for a moment, then a chuckle escaped his lips. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

Lavi should have known — the signs were all there. He wanted to spend more time at Tyki's shop, felt a pull towards the older man that he hadn't felt for anyone before. His thoughts wandered on Tyki, as did his dreams… He felt foolish now, especially with the potion overriding his usually collected thoughts. Looking up, he saw Tyki in a similar state of unease.

The potion was strong; Tyki had made sure of that. And with their collective stupidity, it was stronger than it ever should have been. Even in a small amount, the potion could tempt the most prudish person into hormone induced activities. And while the potion didn't affect anyone who was uninterested in the user to begin with, it did influence people who were potential matches for the user.

Not to mention that the potion was supposed to be taken orally — to diffuse the scent, the enhanced aroma that attracted potential partners. It was too strong to be used topically, and they had just spilled it all over each other…

Lavi's green eye met Tyki's gold ones in that instance, and he could feel the electricity between them raise the hairs on the back of his neck. His breath came in shallow gasps, the smell of the potion consuming his rational thoughts. Even though he knew the potion was mostly to blame for his spiking emotions, it didn't help to quell the raging desire humming in his veins.

Right then, he wanted Tyki more than anything.

His legs didn't want to work right, leaving Lavi to lean heavily against the counter. Tyki was right — he should leave, get out of the shop before he lost all his sense and reason in favor of unrestrained passion. But…

But Tyki looked too good to not touch.

Damn, he couldn't hold himself back any longer. The heat burning his skin was too much to take. He needed relief. Lavi pushed himself up, reaching out to grab the front of Tyki's button up shirt, heedless of the broken glass shards and sticky potion under his palm as he braced himself against the counter.

Tyki groaned as his weight shifted forward. "Lavi, you know it's—"

"I know it's the potion. I don't care." Without another word, Lavi tugged harder, crashing their lips together in a rough, needy kiss. Lavi moaned into Tyki's mouth, pressing in closer.

Tyki had been holding himself back with every ounce of control he had, but the hold was tenuous. So, when Lavi's fingers wrapped around the fabric of his shirt and pulled him in for a deep, longing kiss, all he could do was melt into the redhead without complaint. He knew the potion was doing this to them, leaving them to give in to their baser urges, but none of that mattered right then — not when Lavi's mouth tasted warm and welcoming, and his moaning rattled against Tyki's tongue, and he smelled like old books, a crackling fire, and ink all rolled into something that could only be described as _Lavi_. It overwhelmed him, made him not care that neither of them _really_ knew each other.

Fuck all, he couldn't hold back anymore.

Grabbing Lavi's sides and digging his fingers into the heavy leather of his coat, Tyki yanked the redhead over the counter, dragging him through the rest of the potion. Herbs and bottles fell to the floor, breaking open and spilling their contents across the linoleum. In his excitement to get them closer, Tyki slipped and fell back as well, Lavi landing square on top of him in a heap of tangled, sweaty limbs.

Lavi groaned, his knees knocking hard into the flooring as he splayed out on top of Tyki. The pain only distracted him for a moment before he dipped back down to kiss Tyki with renewed vigor. Tyki's hands slipped up, tugging at Lavi's coat and shirt, trying to strip him down without breaking contact.

Lavi pulled at Tyki's shirt, ripping the buttons free as he ground his hips down against Tyki's. Before he could realize what was happening, his jacket was already tossed back, and the alchemist's hands were up his shirt. He felt the rough fingertips smooth over his skin, pinching and teasing. Lavi moaned into their kiss, his mouth opening to let Tyki's tongue slip inside.

They kissed, hard and heavy, and Lavi felt his heart hammering in his chest. Every touch was rough and needy, desperately working to find satisfaction in the other's flesh. He had never wanted someone as badly as he did right in that moment. His skin itched and burned, and the only relief seemed to be when Tyki touched him. He knew the potion was to blame, but fuck, he didn't care.

Lavi pulled away, tugging at Tyki's lower lip with his teeth before kissing down the line of his jaw and to his neck. He sucked at the tender skin, pressing down against Tyki with a roll of his hips. Lavi knew he should've been embarrassed, grinding into the alchemist on the floor of his shop, but in that moment, he had no shame. Even if someone walked in on them right that second, he doubted he could have stopped what they had started.

A low moan echoed off the walls as Tyki slipped his hands over Lavi's back. Whatever spot Lavi had found on his neck left his insides to squirm and ache with want. Tyki sat up, bringing Lavi with him as he moved. The redhead still straddled his hips as Tyki grabbed the edge of his shirt, pulling it up and over Lavi's head. The sucking on his neck stopped momentarily, but as soon as Lavi was free of his shirt, he went right back to it.

Tyki's hands roamed the expanse of Lavi's back, sliding up and down. His skin was already prickled with sweat, no doubt from the potion induced heat. His own body felt like an oven, ready to ignite anything he touched. Lavi felt no cooler than he did.

Squirming out of his own unbuttoned shirt, Tyki licked up the edge of Lavi's ear. He felt Lavi shudder under the touch, groaning into his neck. With a grin Tyki shifted their weight and dragged them both to their feet. Lavi still swayed, unsteady, but Tyki managed to pull him along as they moved to the back room, closing the door behind him.

Lavi scanned the new surroundings with a lazy eye, his mind too hazy to take everything in. The room was small, and every inch of free space was lined with cupboards and shelves filled with a myriad of bottles and ingredients. There was a work table in one corner, and another door on the far end of the room was left ajar. The air of the shop was usually filled with the smell of herbs, but in the back room, the scent increased tenfold. The smell left Lavi dizzy, and he leaned heavily on Tyki's shoulder to keep from falling over.

Without a word, Tyki pulled Lavi to the table, then pushed him back to sit on the surface. His lips return to Lavi's in an instant, tongue sliding inside. Lavi's hands smoothed up Tyki's back, fingers curling into his dark locks and drawing him closer as his legs hooked around his hips. Tyki's fingers dig into the redhead's sides, trying to pull him closer when there was no space left between their bodies. Their mutual stiffness ached, rubbing against the confines of their pants as they worked their hips into each other.

Lavi pulled back for air, his arms circling around Tyki's shoulders. He whined, his face flushed as he burrowed his face into the alchemist's neck. "Tyki, please. I need more."

Tyki chuckled at Lavi's begging, not bothering to think it over or worry about crossing a line anymore. The potion already had their thoughts so mangled that there was no way to unweave the spell now. All they could do was enjoy themselves and hope for the best when the potion wore off.

Reaching up to a shelf behind Lavi, Tyki grabbed a small tub and brought it down to the table, letting his fingers trail over the container before moving to the front of Lavi's pants. "No patience. Typical Leo," he said, grin spreading across his face as he worked the button and zipper open on Lavi's pants.

Lavi huffed, his face still bright red as he fought to keep his breathing even. Tyki's words mirrored the phrase he'd used when they first met — and it _still_ pissed him off. "Asshole. Just fuck me already."

Not bothering to reply, Tyki pulled Lavi from the table, then tugged his pants and underwear down in one quick motion. Lavi cried out softly in surprise, but didn't move away. Tyki wasted no time in palming Lavi's erection, his hand moving up and down the shaft, then cupping his balls as he teased the redhead.

Lavi held onto the table tighter, feeling a bite of pain in his right hand. Too preoccupied to care, he focused on the feel of Tyki's long fingers caressing his skin, smearing pre-cum over the tight flesh.

"Turn around," Tyki instructed, and Lavi excitedly complied. Tyki undid his own pants, letting them fall loose about his hips as he freed himself from the constricting fabric. He then reached for the tub, unscrewing the top and dipping two fingers in without ceremony.

Lavi felt it then, Tyki's cool, lubricated digits plunging deep inside. "Oh, God," he groaned, resting his face against his folded arms on the table. His breath hitched, the feeling of being stretched out tying his stomach into a pleased knot. His legs spread out further and his back arched as Tyki worked his fingers in.

It was easier to slide into the redhead than Tyki had thought it would be. Perhaps it was the potion's doing, though he wasn't sure. It didn't matter, anyway. He just needed to prep Lavi, and the faster, the better. He searched inside, his fingers digging deep inside. He smiled when Lavi gasped, his body stiffening against the intrusion.

"Right there," Lavi managed to moan out. Tyki found that perfect spot that left his knees weak and his vision blurry. When Tyki played with him more, teasing the spot now that he knew where it was, all Lavi could do was whine and press his hips back against his hand.

Lavi's insistence was clear, and having had enough foreplay, Tyki pulled his hand free from the redhead and slathered a fresh coating of the slippery substance over his own aching arousal. Without warning, he pressed himself up against Lavi's entrance and pushed inside.

"Ahh…Shit…" Lavi cursed, trying to find something to hold onto as Tyki entered him, but the table was bare of anything useful. He pressed his hot face to the cool surface, but even that little relief still left him burning for more. He pushed his hips back, urging Tyki to continue.

Tyki bit his lip, hands settling on Lavi's hips as he reveled in the hot, tight feeling of being buried deep in the redhead. He started to move his hips, slow at first, but quickly gaining speed. He didn't know how long he'd last, not with Lavi gasping and crying out with each thrust. The little mews and cries were too damn sexy to resist. As he continued to pump into Lavi, he slipped his hand around his hips to grab at his arousal. He needed to hear the redhead moan even more.

The attention at both ends left Lavi rigid with pleasure. He panted, his limbs aching as he tried not to squirm too much. "Ah, _fuck_. Tyki… harder."

Tyki chuckled, the sound echoing in the room as he worked harder into Lavi. He could feel his legs tiring out, his stamina waning from staying upright so long and being weakened from the potion, but _damn_ — he couldn't stop himself. He needed Lavi to cum, he needed _to cum in him_. It was a desire so deeply ingrained in his thoughts that even if he were to have a heart attack, he knew he couldn't have stopped his hips from thrusting deep into Lavi with abandon. The urge was so base that he doubted he could stop for anything short of death.

Tears welled up at the corner of Lavi's eye as he bit back another moan. It all felt so good, so deliciously good, that he couldn't bear it anymore. Tyki fucked him hard, his hips moving in time with his hand that firmly gripped Lavi's dick, bringing them both closer to the end. Before Lavi could wonder how much longer he would last, he felt the deep coiling of his guts, the numbness in his arms and legs that signaled his impending orgasm.

"T-Tyki…I'm gonna…" Before he could get another word out, Lavi came with a cry. His hips thrust forward into Tyki's hand, then back to press himself further onto him. His head buzzed from the relief, even as Tyki continued to thrust into him.

It didn't take long after that — Tyki came not more than a few thrusts after Lavi, the redhead's quaking body pulling the last of his orgasm from him. Tyki panted, against the back of Lavi's neck, both their bodies covered in sweat as they fought to catch their breath. He let go of Lavi's softening cock, then slowly slid out while holding onto his hips.

The mind-numbing effects of the potion seemed to be wearing off. Tyki found himself thinking more clearly, even if just a little. He kept hold of Lavi, as the redhead didn't look too stable. "You ok?" he asked.

"Define _ok,_ " Lavi replied, shaking his head and letting out a hoarse laugh. He pulled up his left hand as he continued to lean against the table, blinking with confusion as he stared at his palm. "Tyki, my hand hurts…"

"What?"

Before Lavi could reply, he felt his head buzz and tingle. Everything seemed far away, lopsided, and his ears felt like they were full of cotton. His consciousness slipped as everything went dark and, he collapsed against the linoleum flooring.

xXxXxXx

A sharp pain in his right palm tugged at Lavi's mind, dragging him back to consciousness. The overpowering smell of herbs and incense was marred with a hint of cigarette smoke. Lavi wrinkled his nose and groaned.

"Don't move, now. I've almost got it all out."

The command confused Lavi, and when he opened his eyes, the fluorescent lights overhead made him wince. He pulled his unoccupied hand over his eye and sighed. "What happened?"

"You fainted. I think that would be obvious," Tyki clarified. "Never had anyone faint on me after sex. Was it that good, then?" He chuckled and continued to work on Lavi's hand, plucking at something with tweezers.

Lavi sat up with a groan, pulling his hand away from his face. He looked down at the hand Tyki was preoccupied with and noticed a few flecks of blood. Tyki had a cigarette lazily hanging between his lips as he worked at the unseen thing in Lavi's palm. A bottle of antiseptic and a pile of gauze were on the floor next to them. While he was out, it looked as if Tyki at least attempted to make him comfortable in the back room. His pants were back on, even if he was still shirtless, and he was stretched out on top of his discarded jacket and scarf.

Shaking his head and ignoring Tyki's joke, he rubbed at his temple. "What are you doing?"

"Apparently, you got glass in your hand from the broken potion bottle. I'm being quite the gentleman and picking it out for you," Tyki said, preoccupied as he plucked out another shard and deposited it in the ash tray next to him.

Lavi vaguely remembered pressing his palm against the front counter and a sharp pain in his hand, but the memory was fuzzy and brought with it a flood of lewd images. His mind flicked through every memory that had happened after the bottle broke, leaving him blushing hotly. He seemed more or less fine now – calmer and more collected, at least.

Before he could reply, Tyki pulled the last shard out of his hand and grinned triumphantly. "Aha! Got it. That last one was a tricky bastard." He dropped the glass in the ash tray, then pulled the cigarette from his lips and snuffed it out in the tray. Grabbing a clean cotton ball, he doused it in the antiseptic and carefully cleaned the tiny cuts on Lavi's palm.

"…Thanks," the redhead mumbled, unable to look at Tyki.

Once he finished with Lavi's hand, Tyki stood up and cleaned the mess, depositing everything in a small waste bin under the table. He put away his first aid supplies while Lavi sat and stared at his hand. The air felt tense, and Lavi chewed at his lip.

"Can you stand?"

Lavi looked up, shaken from his thoughts. Tyki stood next to him, hand outstretched. Lavi took it and made it up to his feet, still shaky. "I guess so. I still feel kind of weird."

"It's the potion. It's probably trying to work the excess out of your system. You should be fine in a few days." Tyki held onto Lavi, not letting go even when his swaying ceased. He looked over the redhead, as if double checking to make sure he was _really_ all right, and then sighed. "I suppose I should apologize. I should've noticed that the potion was affecting me. I _did_ make it after all."

Lavi nodded, looking embarrassed. "Well, I think we _both_ managed to fuck this up."

"Literally," Tyki added with a smile.

Lavi rolled his eye and groaned at the joke.

Letting go of Lavi's hand, Tyki bent down and grabbed the rest of the redhead's clothes off of the floor. "Now that you're awake, we should probably get going."

Lavi took his shirt when Tyki handed it to him, but just stared at him in confusion. "Go? Go where?"

"The potion worked, right? I'm your match. So, we should go on a date."

"You want to go on _a date_ … _?_ " Lavi asked, still clutching his crumpled and dirty shirt in his hands as he stared at Tyki.

Tyki shrugged. "Ok, so we fucked already. It's a little backwards, but that doesn't change the fact that the potion worked on us. And like I've said a million times already, my potions _are amazing_. It worked on us for a reason." He ruffled Lavi's hair, making it more of a mess than it already was, and headed towards the main room of the shop. "Hurry up and get dressed. I worked up an appetite."

Lavi tugged his shirt on quickly and chased after Tyki, a blush still staining his cheeks. This whole ordeal had made zero sense since the beginning, but he was in too deep now to care about what made sense anymore. He would have to follow the feeling in his gut instead of his head.

And right then, his gut was hungry.

"Fine, but you're paying," Lavi said, catching up to Tyki and pouting as he snatched back his scarf and jacket.

Tyki laughed, grabbing his keys and wallet from under the front counter. "I suppose you did earn it." He leaned over and gave Lavi a kiss on the cheek while he was distracted with his coat.

The kiss, even as chaste as it was, flustered the redhead even more. He fiddled with his coat and zipped it up as they headed out of the store. "You need to stop that."

"Why? You're cute when you blush."

Lavi sighed. He rubbed at his cheeks as they exited the building, waiting as Tyki locked up his store. Looking up, he glared at the purple and pink sign in the window then back over at Tyki. It was hard to admit that he really liked the alchemist, even if he rubbed him the wrong way at times. After everything that had happened and all the shit he had to go through, one thing stuck out in his mind like the gaudy sign hanging in the shop window—

 _This was all Lena's fault._


End file.
